


New Romantics

by amazingjemma



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Academy Era, All The Tropes, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 04:09:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17418833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amazingjemma/pseuds/amazingjemma
Summary: When Fitz is invited to a party he doesn’t really want to attend, he knows he can rely on his best friend and roommate Jemma Simmons. They are the smartest in the whole Academy, but even they can be… dumb when it comes to pretending boyfriend and girlfriend. That’s kinda romantic. Almost.





	New Romantics

**Author's Note:**

  * For [besidemethewholedamntime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/besidemethewholedamntime/gifts).



> Happy birthday, my lovely Rebecca! You've become such a dear friend to me, and I'm infinitely grateful for you. Here's something that I've always wanted to write but never had an opportunity (or desire, really). I hope you like this and I'm wishing you all the best on your birthday - keep shining and stay as wonderful as you are. I love you lots ♥
> 
> p.s. huge thanks leopoldjamesfitz for beta-ing this xo

Fitz stumbled through the threshold of his and Jemma's dorm room, trying not to look as if he was about to barf and faint simultaneously. The last time he was so worried was three weeks ago before the most important exam of his life. He passed it with flying colours, obviously, considering he was the smartest male student of the whole Academy. Yet, it had felt like he was going through never-ending hell.

 

He almost tripped on the mess on the floor, swearing under his breath. He promised to clean up when he had time (or more like, a desire to do a mundane task such as washing his dirty clothes and throwing away take away containers) but he was so busy with exams that he forgotten about his promise.

 

He wasn't sure whether Jemma forgotten about it herself or whether she’d ignored it until he’d remembered. He was such a bad roommate, honestly.

 

Fitz found her on a couch reading a book on biology and stopped behind her back, not sure if he wanted to disturb her studying and remind her, once again, that he will clean the room. 

 

Someday. Eventually.

 

He was just about to tiptoe his way to his own room when he heard Jemma shuffling and met her gaze, smiling, albeit awkwardly. 

 

"Sorry. Didn't want to disturb you." 

 

"Oh, please," Jemma grinned and put away the book. "I was just thinking about a break. Wanna grab some pastries and watch a movie?"

 

Fitz pursed his lips before walking around the couch and sitting beside Simmons, crossing arms on his chest. He thought of her suggestion, which was quite perfect. He’d had to wake up early and hadn’t even have a chance to have a breakfast which had affected his mood during the lecture. He’d been grumpy, sleepy and impatient; looking forward to the moment he’d go back to their dorm and grab something from the fridge that always seemed to have food.

 

Leo Fitz was extremely lucky having Jemma Simmons as the roommate.

 

But his dreams of a delicious soft cinnamon bun were ruined when a girl from his lecture - what was her name, anyway? Emily? Katie? - had invited him for the party, looking at him in the oddest way, her voice honeyed as if she was... flirting with him!? This was such an odd concept.

 

Jemma stared at him, trying to find the words to ask him what was wrong with him. She knew him better than he knew himself. He seemed to be overwhelmed, as if having an existential crisis and she wasn't sure what made him so grim. She could easily make him food if he asked - she enjoyed cooking anyway -  but there was something else on his mind and Jemma wasn't able to read his thoughts even though she could easily read his emotions.

 

"So," Jemma tilted her head, trying to catch Fitz's gaze. He sighed but didn't look up. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or I have to invent the mind-reading machine to get inside your head?"

 

Fitz chuckled and leaned back on the pillows, looking up at Simmons with a slight grimace.

 

"I don't want you to feel obliged to do this, but there is one favour I want to ask you."

 

Jemma furrowed her eyebrows, staring at him a beat before gesturing for him to continue. "Okay?"

 

"It's a weird one." He promised, as if it could deter her already curious mind.

 

Jemma snorted, thinking nothing of it. Really, they were best friends. He’d picked up tampons for her monthlies just last week. There was nothing weirder than that. "Just say it, Fitz."

 

"Ineedyoutopretendmygirlfriend."

 

Jemma stopped, trying to decode whatever Fitz had just asked her. She wasn't sure if it was yet another code he came up with when he was drunk and remembered just now or a formula for their next collaboration. The realization came to her slowly but surely and Jemma gasped when she realized what he was asking of her.

 

"What?" was all she could say, staring at her best friend with her mouth agape. Well, that definitely was something she had not expect from him.

 

Fitz groaned in frustration and hid his face in his palms, immediately regretting it. He should have run away from that girl, or pretended he was deaf or something but he already said he'd come and he didn't want her to think she had a chance.

 

Because she didn’t. Fitz wasn’t here for relationships - he was here to learn.

 

"Well - someone invited me for the party this evening, and I already said yes - but she looked at me like she was trying to flirt with me or something and I'm not... interested."

 

"You know, you could just not go to the party at all," Jemma suggested, her cheeks suddenly reddening. 

 

Fitz stared at her with confusion.

 

"So, that's a no?"

 

"I didn’t say that," Simmons rolled her eyes and scooted closer to Fitz. She looped her hand around his and shrugged. "We will have to come up with a plan, I guess."

 

"Oh, my dear lord."

 

"You were the one who asked me to pretend your girlfriend and now you are complaining?!" Jemma felt slightly outraged by his statement and Fitz saw that, raising his hands in defeat. "If we are going that route, we will have to think of a backstory! I'd rather be prepared than dying of embarrassment when they ask how we got together - and they  _ will _ ask."

 

Fitz wasn't sure what he was getting himself into. He'd rather sleep right now, dreaming of monkeys with their little hands and robots. And yet, here he was, living his worst nightmare.

 

He knew Simmons would come up with the story, she was always the most prepared one of them both, but when she shoved her notebook right into his hands, Fitz felt as if the earth under his feet has crumbled. There were four pages of bullet points, on how they'd met and fell in (fake) love with each other, and  Fitz was sure he was about to die.

 

He almost quit his life right here and then, trying to talk Simmons into staying at their dorm and watch some movie and ignore everyone; he also suggested to pretend they'd died; Jemma, for obvious reasons, slapped the back of his head at just thinking about it in the first place.

 

All this dating stuff was foreign to Fitz because while he was (obviously) a quite handsome guy, he chose to ignore when the girls tried to flirt with him. He looked at them as if they were aliens, oblivious to the fact that he was quite popular among other students. He accepted and relished his popularity as the best male student - he really was at the top of his classes, except the ones that required any knowledge in biology; which was kinda Simmons' field, but it didn't matter. He only signed up for these classes because he and Simmons made a deal and he wasn't going to lose.

 

While he was absolute garbage at all this neurobiology and chemistry, Simmons managed to somehow keep up with his subjects. Fitz couldn't tell she was winning, but he was a few steps behind her. And this was not good.

 

So basically, he'd rather have a biology test than going on a party with Simmons and pretend they have something going on.

 

It was ridiculous.

 

He wasn't even interested in her.

 

Not in the slightest.

 

In the meantime, Fitz found himself stress-eating cookies Simmons had baked a few days ago whilst helping her with an essay she had to hand in the next Monday. They still had a few days but Fitz clearly forgot that his roommate was an overachiever who prefers to have everything done in advance.

 

That was very admirable. Fitz wished he had this kind of superpower.

 

The evening came faster than they would have liked to, and Fitz stared at his outfit in the wall mirror, trying to convince himself that a simple t-shirt and pants were quite a combo. While they didn't necessarily agree to coordinate their outfits, Fitz hoped that Jemma wouldn't wear something extravagant, though he would never describe her style like that.

 

He turned around when he heard the door creaked open and his jaw nearly met the wooden floor when he met Simmons' gaze. She smiled awkwardly and shrugged.

 

"I wasn't sure what to wear, so... I hope this is fine."

 

Fitz didn’'t know how to say that what she had picked is  _ beyond _ just 'fine'. She was wearing a floral off-the-shoulder dress that ended below the knees, a soft cardigan tugged around  her shoulders. Her ponytail had turned into a messy braid and she looked stunning like this. He took a few steps toward her, opening and closing his mouth because the closer he got, the more gorgeous she was. It was strange thinking that way about his best friend.

 

He couldn’t find any words except, "wow."

 

Simmons rolled her eyes and fixed her hair a bit, taking his hand; the gesture felt warm and lovely and Fitz came to himself suddenly, checking the time.

 

"Well, let the show begin."

 

The party itself was everything they hate. Jemma was definitely the more social of the two, but it was hard bargained to pull her away from the lab most days, and when he did manage, the two of them enjoyed the company of each other as opposed to the company of others. That meant the two of them spent most of their time nearly hugging the walls as the rest of their inebriated classmates bounced around. Fitz ignores the looks and focused, instead, on Simmons - even though this is problematic, considering she pulled off her cardigan because of the warm room and was now wearing just the off-the-shoulders dress. He shouldn't think about it, he was not  _ allowed _ to think of her this way, but every time he turned to her and closed the distance, her strawberry perfume surrounded him and his eyes darted to her naked shoulders.

 

He excuses himself one hour later and leaves Simmons be, but before that, he quickly closes the distance between them and smooches her on the cheek - they have discussed this; they must behave like The Couple. 

 

Fitz poured himself a lemonade that tastes too bitter and strange - it is either mixed with whiskey or some shit like that, but he finished the drink in one gulp for the courage he'll need to get him through until the party ended and they left this hellish place. He shouldn't, but he found himself watching his best friend from the distance; she had wandered off and was now talking to some other girl - Jenny, his mind suggested, because he had seen them during the break discussing the biology project - but Fitz notices she felt awkward. 

 

They were both foreigners here, though Simmons is slightly more outgoing than him. She had other friends or partners, Fitz was not sure what to call them, whilst he was basically alone. He couldn't find someone his age and IQ to discuss ideas, and Simmons was the only one who understood the language he was speaking. Jemma Simmons was quite literally the closest person he had in the Academy, and while his dear mother would like his son to have more friends, he felt infinitely more content with Simmons by his side.

 

He was comfortable around her; as if she was home.

 

_ (In some capacity, she was. It was magnificent.) _

 

His train of thoughts was interrupted by a rather loud laugh and a familiar face that was perhaps a little bit  _ too _ close for his liking. Fitz grinned sheepishly and stepped away, straight back into his comfort zone.

 

"Fitz! I'm so glad you are here," the girl who invited him in the first place cooed, caressing his shoulder. It made Fitz uncomfortable. "I wasn't sure you show up, but we all need a break from all this paper crap, right?"

 

"Yeah," Fitz drawled out, trying to find Simmons in the crowd. She was nowhere to be found and he panicked a little bit. "So uh, thanks for the invite, I guess?"

 

"Aw, it's no big deal," Lyla (that's her name, Fitz remembered) tilted her head and crossed arms on her chest, the dress she was wearing showing perhaps a little bit... too much cleavage. Fitz pressed his lips into a thin line and looks somewhere behind Lyla's shoulders. "You know, maybe we could talk somewhere less crowded? I do have some questions on that last lecture on rocket science and you seem to be the one who actually understands what Professor Collins says."

 

Fitz stopped, inwardly seeing the Error 404 page in response to her question, but before he could say anything, he felt someone's cold hand on his back and it brought him back to the moment.

 

"Lyla!" Simmoned beams, even though Fitz could hear a silent threat in her greetings. "I couldn't find you anywhere and it turned out, you stole my boyfriend." 

 

Simmons laughed jovially, and the other girl stepped back as if she was just pushed into the swimming pool full of cold water. "Uh,  _ boyfriend _ ?"

 

"Oh, you didn't know?" Simmons faked surprise, something that Fitz did not expect from her, considering she was literally the worst when it comes to lying. He turned his head to meet her gaze and smiled slyly. He felt bolder and pressed himself closer to Jemma, placing his hand around her waist. 

 

"I should have mentioned that I guess," Fitz grimaced and smiled sadly at Lyla. The girl looked like she was about to explode and pursed her lips, glaring at Jemma. "Anyway, what exactly you didn't understand on the latest lecture? If you want to, we could meet at the bakery and I could explain to you."

 

"Oh, you're talking about Professor's Collins last lecture?" Jemma immediately joined the conversation, almost jumping from excitement. She really was an oddbird. "That was quite interesting! Especially when he brought up the large hadron collider, right? I could never think of that."

 

Fitz shook his head at Simmons' excitement and when he looked up, Lyla's long gone. They didn't even have to do anything except stand close and look at each other adoringly and the girl's taken the hint and was now somewhere cursing Jemma bloody Simmons for dating Leopold bloody Fitz.

 

"Well, that was quick," Jemma whispers and looked around the crowd before accepting the red cup from Fitz's hand. She eyed it skeptically and grimaces at the taste of it. " _ Gross _ ! Are you sure there are no drugs involved?"

 

"Make it easier for them to believe we are actually dating," Fitz suggested when they sat at the empty corner and closer to the exit. "Not sure they're gonna remember that the next day."

 

"You owe me, by the way," Jemma leans closer and Fitz tried his best not to look at her naked shoulders and... lower his neck. "How about you help me with the programming class?"

 

"Only if you help me with the xenobiology," Fitz smirks. Simmons beamed and nodded her head and they seal the deal with a high five.

 

That's so very not a couple like.

 

They came to their dorm a few hours later, giggling like idiots from the lemonade they had that tasted somehow like acid. Fitz wondered briefly if the lemonade hadn’t been spiked with more than just alcohol but he could clearly taste the smell of beer and he didn't mind.

 

Jemma had had more than him and he wondered how much drinks she could swallow without gagging; at his slurred question everything she could say (her speech was incomprehensible at this point but Fitz could understand the context anyway) that she was British and that she was proud of it and Fitz immediately reminded her that he is Scottish, hence he was superior than her.

 

They stumbled in their dorm room and Simmons almost tripped whilst trying to get rid of the heels she was wearing, clutching to Fitz's arm.

 

"I am never - and I mean ever - drinkin' again," she threw the cardigan on the couch and huffed, trying to pull the hair away from her face. "Glad we told that gal off tho," she said with such a weird accent that it made Fitz burst into laughter. "She is  _ soooo _ borin'".

 

"Glad y' think so," Fitz grinned as he tried to navigate them through the darkness of the room to find their respective bedrooms.

 

Both their coordination was off, which was why Fitz tripped on his socks and they fell back on the couch, with Jemma at the bottom and Fitz on top of her. She furrowed her eyebrows momentarily but burst out giggling and Fitz found himself grinning, unable to take his eyes off her.

 

Simmons was absolutely drunk but so beautiful, with her messy locks and full rosy lips. Her eyes were glistening in the dark and her hand was clutching to the material of his shirt. It was as if he was her anchor, the one who needed to stand (or lay) still, and before Fitz realized it, he leaned forward and kissed Simmons, moaning at the sensation.

 

She relaxed under him and he felt her hand at the nape of his neck pressing him closer, and soon her giggles turned into shallow breaths and pants. 

 

She tasted like beer and cotton candy, the smell of her perfume making Fitz's head dizzy and he tilted her head to deepen the kiss. It was messy and hot, and his hands wander dangerously close to where her dress rolled up, but she doesn't push him away, nor she asks questions, so Fitz allows himself to enjoy the moment.

 

He came to himself when Simmons' cold hands found their way underneath his t-shirt and he pulled away, breathless. Fitz doesn't know for how long they have been laying and shamelessly making out, but it certainly felt like a century. Simmons cupped his face so ever gently and Fitz wondered what was going on in her head.

 

What was she thinking? What was she feeling?

 

Simmons was the first one to get up; she fixed her dress and licked her lips, a soft blush on her cheeks that Fitz could see even in the dark. He cleared his throat, unable to move due to heat that had made him forget his own name, and he was afraid as hell what comes next.

 

Simmons smiled a bit, he noticed and wished him a good night before disappearing behind the door of her bedroom. Fitz felt as if he was starstruck and hid his face in his hands, groaning.

 

He would definitely need a cold shower after this. 

 

He wonders how they are going to act around one another in the morning; Fitz barely slept that night, but when he did, he dreamt of kissing Jemma again and more. He woke up in a cold sweat and wanted to hush the voices in his head before they suggest him even more dangerous ideas.

 

She was his best friend. She couldn't be... more. This was impossible.

 

His worst fears vanished away when Fitz joined Simmons in their tiny kitchen and she greeted him with a warm smile. The plate of pancakes brought him back to reality and he realized nothing had changed.

 

Perhaps, she had forgotten about it; or preferred to blame the alcohol.

 

Fitz made himself a promise to never bring it up. What happens in the Academy, stays at the Academy.

 

But he knew that the dreams would not let him forget.

 

He accepted that, too.

 


End file.
